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Ford Chip Ganassi Racing will field two Prototype entries at the 2016 Rolex 24 at Daytona, the team announced Tuesday.

Sprint Cup Series regulars Jamie McMurray and Kyle Larson will wheel the No. 02 ride, along with reigning Verizon IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon and 2004 IndyCar champion Tony Kannan. The foursome will look to defend their 2015 Rolex 24 at Daytona title.

McMurray’s 2015 victory put him in company of racing lengends Mario Andretti and AJ Foyt as the only drivers to earn both Rolex 24 at Daytona and Daytona 500 wins. This marks McMurray’s seventh Rolex 24 at Daytona race with FCGR, while this year’s event will be Larson’s third entry.

“We’re proud to have the defending Prototype Champions from last year, along with the excitement worldwide with the reintroduction of the Ford GT,” team owner Chip Ganassi said in a team release. “I think we’ve built a very strong effort for the 2016 race in the Prototype class, which gives us two more solid chances to get to Victory Lane.”

Along with seven sports car racing championship titles, Ford Chip Ganassi Racing has earned six Rolex 24 at Daytona wins and two runner-up results from 2006-2015, the greatest stretch in the race’s history. Ganassi is also the only team owner to record three consecutive Rolex 24 at Daytona victories, winning the coveted event from 2006-2008.

The 2016 Rolex 24 at Daytona will take place Jan. 30-31, beginning at 2:10 p.m. ET each day.

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Photo credit: @3M, the official Twitter handle for 3M
RELATED: See the fresh looks for 2016

3M revealed its paint scheme for Chase Elliott‘s No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet on Monday for the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. The firesuit and helmet were also unveiled.

Last year, 3M came on board for 10 races in what turned out to be Jeff Gordon‘s final season in the car. Elliott takes over the ride in 2016 after two full-time seasons in the NASCAR XFINITY Series for JR Motorsports. NAPA Auto Parts (24 races) and Kelley Blue Book (two races) have already been announced as primary sponsors for the upcoming season with Elliott.



The 2016 campaign will see the 2014 XFINITY Series champion competing for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors. Elliott made five Sprint Cup starts in 2015 in the No. 25 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

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RELATED: NBC Sports Live Extra


All times ET

Wednesday, Dec. 30
7 a.m., NASCAR America: Top Moments (re-air), NBCSN
7:30 a.m., NASCAR America: Stories of NASCAR #5 (re-air), NBCSN
5:30 p.m., NASCAR America: Season Awards, NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of the Year (re-air), FS1

Thursday, Dec. 31
7 a.m., NASCAR America: Images of the Season #1 (re-air), NBCSN
7:30 a.m., NASCAR America: Images of the Season #2 (re-air), NBSN

 

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. spent some time over Christmas Eve and Christmas answering fan questions on Twitter and revealing some of the gifts both he and fiancée Amy Reimann received.

 

During his conversation with fans, Dale Jr. enjoyed a quick exchange with NASCAR fan and country music star Blake Shelton, revealed he would love to see the NASCAR XFINITY Series back at Martinsville, ID’d which paint scheme he would like to run at Darlington and revealed his favorite Christmas gift ever. Below are some of the highlights.

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Torie Costa, the daughter of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series crew chief Scott Zipadelli, passed away from a lengthy battle with cancer on Friday night.

Zipadelli served as Ben Kennedy’s crew chief with Red Horse Racing in the 2015 season. He also has served as a crew chief in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.

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The saying goes to start them young.

Seven-month old Brexton Busch, the son of Sprint Cup champion Kyle Busch and his wife Samantha, got behind the wheel of a go-kart on Christmas with the assistance of Kyle’s dad. Kyle documented the experience on Twitter.

Perhaps, Brexton will be following in the footsteps of his father as well as his uncle Kurt and take to the track down the road.

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Ever wonder what cars are in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s collection? Well, wonder no more with the help of Team Chevy as the Hendrick Motorsports driver offers an look at what is in his garage. The video below looks at his 1965 Chevrolet Impala.

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RELATED: 2015 race replays

 

The holidays are a time of reflection. It’s also the NASCAR offseason, so now you have a perfect excuse — if you even needed one — to re-watch the top races from 2015.

 

NASCAR.com has archives of our race replays on YouTube. Explore that page here.

 

Here are some of our recommendations in the form of the top races and/or best finishes of the year:

Kentucky, Sprint Cup

This was the first race with the reduced downforce package, so there’s plenty of sliding all over the track — a precursor for the 2016 season? Plus, this race serves as almost a predictor for what’s to come for eventual race winner Kyle Busch.

 

WATCH THE REPLAY HERE

Daytona, XFINITY

 

The first race for new entitlement sponsor XFINITY had a little bit of everything. There were nine different leaders, including seven drivers leading 10 laps or more. A late-race wreck took out multiple contenders, setting the stage for Ryan Reed’s last-lap pass for his first series win.

 

WATCH THE REPLAY HERE

Darlington, Sprint Cup

Come for the throwback paint schemes, stay for the great racing. Darlington’s throwback theme was a huge hit, and it was a beautiful thing to see schemes like the Mello Yello car back on the track.

 

Like Kentucky, Darlington used the low downforce package, but with a tire combination to match. That led to additional spins, plus some late-race pit stops yielded an unexpected winner.

 

WATCH THE FULL REPLAY HERE

Talladega (fall), Sprint Cup

 

This was the Dale Show. Dale Earnhardt Jr. had the fastest car, and he rallied from multiple miscues in the pits to charge toward the lead late. The debatable finish, specifically the late wreck involving Kevin Harvick , rounds out one of the most captivating races of the year.

 

WATCH THE FULL REPLAY HERE

Martinsville (fall), Sprint Cup

 

The NASCAR.com editorial staff voted this as our race of the year, and the first event of the Eliminator Round had it all. There was hard racing in tight quarters, there was on-track drama and there was an incredible charge to the finish that saw an emotional Jeff Gordon clinch his championship spot at Homestead in his final full-time season.

 

WATCH THE FULL RACE REPLAY

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RELATED: What drivers and crew chiefs are on the move for ’16?

Joe Gibbs Racing announced its driver/crew chief lineup for the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series on Monday, with key changes coming for drivers Carl Edwards and Denny Hamlin.

Dave Rogers, most recently Hamlin’s crew chief with the No. 11 JGR Toyota, shifts over to the No. 19 Camry to pair with Edwards. Mike Wheeler, who served last year as crew chief for JGR’s No. 20 team in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, replaces Rogers to call the shots for Hamlin next season.

Darian Grubb, crew chief for Edwards’ first season with JGR, is “currently exploring several opportunities” for 2016, according to a release provided by the team.

 

The orginization’s other two Sprint Cup teams keep their pairings intact. Adam Stevens returns as crew chief for the No. 18 Toyota and reigning Sprint Cup champion Kyle Busch. Jason Ratcliff is back atop the pit box for the wheelman of the No. 20 Toyota Matt Kenseth.

Team owner Joe Gibbs called its 2015 campaign “probably the strongest season we have ever had” after all four drivers qualified for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs, but that changes were made to keep the company competitive.

“I think every year you evaluate each of your teams however and sometimes during that process you find that a change might be in the best interest for all involved,” Gibbs said in the team’s news release. “Mike Wheeler is obviously someone that has a long history with Denny (Hamlin) and that No. 11 team. After seeing what he accomplished as a crew chief in our XFINITY Series program last year we felt the timing was right to move him back into our Cup program.

“Dave Rogers has also been successful in every role he has had with us and we think he will work well with Carl (Edwards) going into 2016.”

Wheeler, a longtime lead engineer for Hamlin, embarks on his first full season as a crew chief in NASCAR’s premier series. He served as interim crew chief for six Sprint Cup races in 2014, taking over the No. 11 during Grubb’s suspension for a P5-level penalty.

Wheeler helped spur the JGR No. 20 Toyota to eight Coors Light Pole Awards and four victories in the XFINITY Series last season, achieving three wins with Hamlin and one with Erik Jones.

Rogers, a 15-time winner in Sprint Cup competition, will start 2016 working with his third JGR driver in three seasons. Rogers teamed with Busch from 2010-14 before taking the helm with Hamlin last year.

Grubb joined Joe Gibbs Racing in 2012 after three seasons and one championship with Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner Tony Stewart. Grubb worked primarily with Hamlin in his first three years with the Gibbs organization before shifting to Edwards’ team in 2015.